According to rankings from US News, Forbes, the World Economic Forum, CNBC, WalletHub, and the Tax Foundation, Oklahoma does not rank in the top 10 of states that are best for business. Various outlets constructed their 2023 rankings based on diverse metrics such as economic strength, tax policies, workforce availability, cost of doing business, legal and regulatory frameworks, and business growth trends. Across these studies, Oklahoma ranked at an average position of 27th. This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one. Sources US News Rankings: Business Environm ..read more

Teacher turnover hit its highest point since the pandemic last school year, when more than 6,000 Oklahoma public school teachers left the classroom.  The crush of school departures occurred even as the state implemented the largest salary increase for educators since 2018 at $3,000 to $6,000 per teacher, depending on experience.  “There’s no question: overall, there continues to be a serious crisis,” said Chris Tobler, director of human resources for Mustang Public Schools, the state’s 11th largest district.  According to an analysis of certified teacher data from the Okl ..read more

After weeks of uncertainty, prospective teachers are getting some clarity over whether the State Department of Education will accept one of the state’s main teacher certification exams. Some school districts, universities and teachers started hearing in mid-March that the state would no longer accept Praxis subject tests offered by the Educational Testing Service.  Education message boards on social media sites like Facebook attracted scores of comments from educators who signed up for the Praxis test or already took it and were told by someone at the department the Praxis test may not ..read more

Several dozen House Republicans joined Democrats on Tuesday to reject a measure seeking sweeping changes to Oklahoma’s judicial nomination system.  By a vote of 36-60, representatives rejected Senate Joint Resolution 34, which proposed allowing the governor to nominate judicial officers and send names to the Legislature for final confirmation. Because the resolution sought to change the state constitution, it would have required final approval from voters via a state question.  Voters established the Judicial Nominating Commission by state question in 1967, in the aftermath of a bri ..read more

Oklahoma Watch · Family Member’s Eviction Attempt Ends In Flames Heather Warlick recently covered a tragic eviction case in Oklahoma City that made nationwide news. Paul Monies on developments involving the Oklahoma attorney general suit regarding Winter Storm Uri. Keaton Ross on why most state legislative races won’t appear on November’s general election ballot. The post Long Story Short: Family Member’s Eviction Attempt Ends In FlamesLong Story Short: appeared first on Oklahoma Watch ..read more

Oklahoma House Bill 3217, which passed committee, would specifically prohibit government agencies from displaying flags representing LGBTQ identities on state-owned property, including public schools. However, the proposed law does not prohibit display of pride flags by private individuals or businesses in public or private spaces. Oklahoma HB 3217, known as the “Patriotism Not Pride Act”, would also ban government agencies from utilizing state or privately donated funds to promote Pride Month. HB 3217 was not heard by the House before the deadline to hear bills in their chamber of origin ..read more

Shay Swindall lives in a tent, under a busy Oklahoma City overpass, in a sprawling homeless encampment. When she needed a new albuterol inhaler recently, she tried to ration the last few puffs she had left. Her health had been fairly good before last winter, though, even at age 64, health care was not something she prioritized. There were times she was taken to emergency rooms for problems that could have been managed at health clinics, she said. But finding a ride to providers can be a real challenge.  Last winter, she became desperately sick with double pneumonia and a supervirus. She ..read more

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed a pair of lawsuits Wednesday against natural gas pipeline firms, alleging the companies helped bid up the price of natural gas to the highest levels in history during a winter storm in February 2021.  Gentner Drummond Drummond filed the lawsuits in Osage County on behalf of the Grand River Dam Authority. The lawsuits, prepared with the help of Oklahoma City law firm Foshee & Yaffe, allege Enable subsidiaries and Symmetry Energy Solutions LLC separately manipulated their parts of the natural gas pipeline systems in the state to boost p ..read more

Oklahoma Watch · State Supreme Court Hears St. Isidore Arguments Jennifer Palmer reports on the oral arguments in front of the Oklahoma Supreme Court that will shape the next step for what could be the nation’s first religious public school. Keaton Ross talks about a gubernatorial task force’s report on dark money campaign contributions and Paul Monies discusses the Legislature’s budgetary impasse. Ted Streuli hosts. The post Long Story Short: State Supreme Court Hears St. Isidore Arguments appeared first on Oklahoma Watch ..read more

For the third consecutive general election cycle, most Oklahoma voters won’t elect their state lawmakers in November.  Fifty of the 127 State and House seats up for re-election were decided at 5 p.m. Friday, April 5,  when just one candidate filed for office. Thirty-five races will be settled in the June 18 primary or Aug. 27 runoff election. The Oklahoma Democratic Party has opened its 2024 primaries to independents while the Republican and Libertarian parties will hold closed contests. Former Rep. Avery Frix, who vacated his House seat in 2022 to run for Congress, won the Senate ..read more